China's J-20 Stealth Fighter Spotted In New Trials

Little new information about China’s fifth generation fighter the J-20 Mighty Dragon has surfaced in recent months, but the jet is still in active trials.

Fifth-generation planes are the most advanced generation of fighters in the world right now and China’s J-20, Russia’s T-50 and America’s F-22 and F-35 the only ones that hold the designation.

This latest photo from aviation blog Alert 5 shows the J-20 performing “taxiing tests.” These tests are designed to evaluate how the aircraft will move under its own power on the runway, moving from one location to another.

This type of operation puts a unique set of demands on an aircraft’s engine and this test could be part of the Chinese effort at finalising, and perfecting, an engine for the J-20 — an effort that has proven a challenge for the Dragon’s